About a month ago I decided to enter the digital age, bite the bullet and buy a tablet computer. I was really hesitant for quite a while – as I am with many techie things – and was trying to see if it was just a fad. What tipped the scales for me was when I was out with my friend Katie and she starting using hers. I watched as she touched the screen and was able to book a reservation for us as well as show me some pictures of her kids. What I liked about the tablet – compared to smartphones – was that it was an ideal size. It wasn’t too big like my laptop but also wasn’t too small. So, I went out and starting shopping around.
When I did, I was shocked at some of the prices that retailers were selling them for. Having two kids and a mortgage, I wasn’t sure that buying a tablet was a worthwhile investment but I really wanted one. So, I took my time getting the one that I felt was the best value for money. By the end of November, I was equipped with my new tablet and started using it daily.
Unfortunately turns a negative corner after the elation of the purchase. Even the first night after I brought it home, I noticed that my beloved tablet wasn’t working as I thought it should. I was quite busy that week and didn’t use it until a week later but I noticed it had been moved. When I switched it on, something appeared to be wrong with the screen. Since I’m not very technical, I showed it to my husband. He thought it was me – “user error”, he said – and he changed some of the settings. I went back to use the tablet the night after and the problem persisted. When I complained about it in front of my daughter, her face turned red. Knowing something was up I asked her if something had happened to the tablet. After a few minutes of persisting, she told me that she accidentally splashed a bunch of water on it the night I purchased it. First thought – “great, there goes my new expensive gizmo”. After grounding my daughter for a night for failing to tell me about the incident, I decided to call it a night.
The next day I met with my friend Katie again and told her what happened. Before anything else, she asked me if I had purchase protection. I wasn’t clear what she meant. I knew that there was a warrantee on the product but surely that wouldn’t kick in due to my daughter spilling water on the product – would it? Katie went on to explain that purchase protection was actually a coverage that some credit cards offer as an added benefit. She told me that something similar happened to her and her purchase protection covered the product and went on to say that it’s designed to give people peace of mind, especially for an important purchase – like my tablet.
The first thing I did when I got home was route through my credit card paperwork to see if this protection was included in the card I bought the tablet on. Luckily, I upgraded my credit card recently to take advantage of travel reward miles as we started travelling a lot more recently since the kids are getting a bit older now. Since I was on a higher-level rewards card, purchase protection was included. Before I decided to put some plans into action I thought I’d do a bit of research first to ensure this situation was eligible.
After my research I found out that purchase protection varies a lot depending on the credit card issuer. I knew that all credit cards protect the buyer in case you buy a defective product. A friend of mine complained to his credit card company and he managed to get most of his money back. I believe that is due to the fact that he was essentially disputing a charge – suggesting that he paid for a product or service that he never properly received in line with his expectations.
However, I had no idea that I could be protected if something accidentally happened to it through my own (or my daughter’s) fault. Since I have a card with this added benefit, I may have the ability to place a claim. Purchase protection on credit cards all have various restrictions and terms, so it’s important to be aware of them. However, if something you’ve purchased on your card is damaged there is no reason why you can’t submit a claim.
I noticed from my research that examples of losses that might be covered by purchase protection can include a bike getting stolen, a dog chewing up a new pair of shoes or even a camera falling into a swimming pool. I thought – if that’s the case then there may be hope for my new tablet computer.
What to do…
Getting coverage through purchase protection typically involves calling the card issuer, filling out a claim form and submitting it with documentation of the loss. So, it will be similar to filing an insurance claim which makes sense. There will be hoops to jump through and papers to fax but, if it works it will be totally worth it, especially since it’s a free benefit I didn’t even know about. I’ve heard approving claims are done on a case-by-case basis so I’m worried that since the tablet’s not completely destroyed they may be hesitant. I’m still going to go through with it and see what happens.
I’ll keep you posted on the outcome. Regardless of what happens, at least I’m a bit more aware of this added protection I’ve got as part of my credit card. So, if something I own ever gets stolen or something just as devastating I know I can claim some or all of the money back. It’s amazing what a bit of coffee talk can get you – the discovery of added benefits many of us already have on some of our Canadian credit cards. Do the research and experience the rewards!
